And now, Ashland, Oregon, will be home to his next inspirational installation! The mural will be located on the west wall of the Elks Building across from the Ashland Springs Hotel in the heart of the downtown. John has unveiled the final sketch, and he can't wait to get on the scaffolding and start to paint.
Let's come together as a community and donate now to make this jaw-dropping illusion come to life!
John Pugh's murals become place-making attractions. His illusions are captivating and convincing.
His designs incorporate layers of history and foster curiosity and connection. John has made Ashland his home, now let's make Ashland home to one of his murals!
Your gift will last for generations!
Your contributions are tax-deductible thanks to our 501(c)3 fiscal sponsor, Ashland Art Works.
Please reach us at artofjohn@gmail.com if you cannot find an answer to your question.
John Pugh is a world-renowned artist whose more than 250 enormous trompe l’oeil murals have been captivating people from New York to New Zealand for more than three decades. His highly sought after work fetches six figures, but now, thanks to the generosity of the artist, Ashland has the opportunity to be home to a Pugh mural for the cost of creation.
John fell in love with Ashland as a child, and three years ago the dream of living here finally came true. Now he has designed a mural for the city he has chosen to make his home, both to honor its roots and to bring Ashland a culturally significant public artwork for our community to enjoy for years to come.
Where the Crow Lights was the name the Shasta people gave to the village where Ashland now stands. It is the title John has chosen for the trompe l’oeil mural he has designed, depicting the origins of our town in the context of the Chautauqua Dome and Nature. The many layers of Ashland’s history and culture are honored with the beauty that surrounds us, with reference to the Native American village , and a shared story of humanity and a search for harmony. John’s ‘trick of the eye’ illusions are always enthralling.
The mural will be located on the large west wall of the Elks' Building.
To date, John’s murals were funded by private commissions and projects awarded in public competitions, where the cost of producing the murals is covered. This is the first time that John has initiated a project. The Ashland mural has been accepted into the public arts collection and has been approved by the Elks, the Historic Commission and the Public Arts Advisory Committee. Since it did not have to go through the public arts process, all funding must be from private sources, it is not eligible for public funds, but all donations are tax deductible thanks to our non-profit fiscal sponsor, Ashland Art Works.
YES! There is an active fundraiser via this website and our social media channels. This is not a City-funded project, so we have to raise funds from private sources. The goal is to raise $250,000. This will cover all costs: studio overhead, artist assistants, insurance, prep & skim coating of the wall, installation and equipment, lighting of the final design, fiscal sponsor fee, and John’s oversight of the installation – considerably less than what a mural of this size usually costs.
We have professionally-produced short documentary-style film about John and his scope of work. The video is a great way to learn about John and his scope of work, and get people excited about the Ashland mural. Feel free to share the video link and help us spread the word! The link can be found on our Press & Media page.
The project budget of $250,000 will include all labor, materials, studio expenses, scaffolding, and general liability insurance. This project will be fabricated and mostly painted in the studio, with about 30% of the process saved for the on-location installation and integration. This mural is expected to have a 100 year life, thanks to the technique and materials John employs.
Prep and Materials: Studio Overhead & Outdoor Mural canvas $30,000
On-Site Building Wall Prep and Skim Coating: Cleaning, skim coat, fine finish, priming $32,000
On Site Expenses: Insurance, Scaffolding, Safety, Rental Equipment $28,000
Artist Fees: Artist Fee (includes Artist Time & Materials) $85,000
Additional professional artist + 2 artist assistants $35,000
Mural Lighting: LED Flood Fixtures, wiring & labor $6,000
Fundraising & Not For Profit Expenses: Studio Events, Printing, PR, Fiscal Sponsor Fee $24,000
Contingency: Unexpected Expenses $10,000
Estimated Total: $250,000
John approached the Ashland Elks Lodge about the mural back in 2022, and since it was on private property and the project was initiated by the artist and the property owner, it did not have to go through a public RFP like other public art projects in the City of Ashland. And that's why the mural project is not eligible for public funding. John presented the mural concept to the Historic Commission and the Public Arts Advisory Committee and the City Council - all publicly noticed meetings that allowed public comment - to seek approval for the mural. He was granted permission to continue with the project from all three bodies and the City Council voted to adopt the mural into the public arts collection once completed.
John builds 3-D models and uses PhotoShop to create a storyboard for the final mural design. He has been doing research and evolving the Ashland mural for over a year. A glimpse into this process is below. Please remember, it is a continuously-evolving process. Updates will be posted as the artist makes them available...
Elks Lodge, 255 E Main St, Ashland, Oregon 97520, United States
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